Apparatus for filling containers



2 Sheets-Shea?l l Jan. 14, 1930.

E. c. ANGELL APPRATUS FOR FILLING CONTAINERS Filed Sept. 2l 1926 351,3 777:5 @Mom/w12* Jan. 14, 1930. E. c, ANGELI.

APPARATUS FOR FILLING CONTAINERS 2 sheets-sheer Filed Sept. 21 1926 Patented Jan. 14, 1930 -ATENT OFFICE EDWARD C. ANGELL, OIF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR FILLING: CONTAINERS Application/:med September 21,1926. Serial No.1363806.

The present .inventionrel-atesto a method andapparatus for automatically filling con-v tainers'from aftank with fluid or other 1naterial, and which containers are automatically 5` advanced to beregistered withthe fillers.

This invention'has for itsobjeet to pro -vide a method and apparatus that will automaticallydischarge-Huid from a number of fillers connected Awith a supply tank into a .10 series ofcontainers, whereby upon the containers being intermittently ladvanced to regyister with theifillers respectively in succession, each 'container will receive a smallfixed or constant ffractional'amount of fluid from each filler, so that the-final portion received will causethecontainer to be filled lwith .the proper. desired amount.

Afurtherobject of the invention is to provide. an apparatus of this character that will discharge'the fixed small v fractional portions into containersplaced below the same, without engagement withthe container, so that containers of flexible.v materials uch as paper or :the like. can be used.

Another' objectof-the invention is to provide in fan apparatusof this character, anarrangement of the llers distributedthroughout theztank, as from=one Vendto the other, whereby each container as advancedfto co- 30. operatewiththe successivellers, will receive a portiontfrom each part of the tank, so. that if `the character of the :Huid Avaries at diiferent `lportions ofthe tank, the containers as lled Vwill each have substantially uniform quantity of the-fluid.

yIn the laccompanyingdrawings showing one embodiment', of my invention,

Figure ,1 is a plan viewpartlyinsection Fig. 2'is afront elevation.

Fig. 8 shows an end view enlargedpartly inisection.

Fg. 4 shows enlarged one Yof the filling means.

vFig. 5 shows raportion of the conveyor and the means for holding .the containers.

As shown in the drawings one-form of apparatus Afor .carrying outmy invention comprises abase or table .lmounted on suitable F legs 2. .Atene end. oftheapparatus is le- 'cated-a flllngitank, onstandards, 5. This `mounted in the standardisE is driven from the asshown is of elongated form, andatthe bottom isprovided with a series of-extension chambers 6, twelve, of which are shownarranged preferably in a line, see Figs. l and 2. Each of these chambersis provided with 55 a-suitable liquid delivering meansfoperfated from a main driving shaft t0 each deliver a liked predetermined quantity of: liquid from the tank 3, that may bemilk or other desired fluid. One form of such device is'showniin '50 Figs. 3 and @L in which a tube7 projectsiup from the bottom of the chamberhzandva cup 8 slides on this tube by its lower;neckr9,with suitable packing 10 where it engagesfthe pipe. The'pipe 7 has its upper open;end:lo- '65 cated in the tank, and this tank receiveszflud whose level is maintained' belowtheitop Aof these pipes 7. The 'cup '8 isfmoved 11pand down by suitable means, and'when itsl open ,7 top is submerged it will fill withithe'lfluid; "o l/Vhen the cup is raised it willv carry this amount of fluid above the upper end'ofithe pipe 7. This will permit the contentsrto'flow down through this pipe until the t-op ofpipe 7 reaches the point 11 in the neck, so that the contents of the cup will be delivered through the pipe 7, but no further-i quantity until the operation is repeated. 'This series of cups is operated in unison lfrom almain shaft 12 at the`rear of the machine,rthat-ro A tates in bearing ,13, 13, driven `by suitable means such as a motor 14, throughsuitable gearing 15, and a chain 16 runningon'a sprocket 17 on the shaft 12. A shafty 18 w Lthrough its individual outlet pipe'?.

These twelve filling devices are designed to cooperate with twelve containers thatmay conveniently be carried by an endless belt or chain 27, extending the length ofthe ma .ieu chine andv L'carried around Asprodrets-28 and 29. The latter is advanced intermittently whereby to move the container holders on the chain a unit distance, whereby each holder will advance the distance apart of theV first filling station will deliver one-twelfth of the container capacity, such as a pint or quart; then the container moves to the second filling station, or tube, and there receives the second one-twelfth of ar pint. At the twelfth advance, this container will receive the final one-twelfth, and thus be filled the desired amount. But it will be understood that the containers are placed on the holders by the operator so that another container is brought under the first filling tube at each movement of the chain. Itis obvious that a greater or less number of filling stations could be provided, but where there are a. filling tubes 4or stations, each will Vdeliver the l/nth part of the contents of the container. The holders 30, see Fig. 5, carried by the chain 27, are provided with angular clips 3l and 32,'the latter having a slot at its angular connection with the base, will be slightly yielding, and will engage with the bead on the bottom of the container. At the rear stops 33 may be provided, a container being slid across the holders from the front until it strikes these stops by which it will be properly positioned on the holder.

The rear sprocket V29 is mounted on a cross shaft 34, see Fig. l, actuated by a ratchet wheel 35 thereon engaged by a pawl 36. The latter is carried by an arm 37 rocked from a cam 38 on a cross shaft 39. This shaft is has advanced thisr shaft the proper distance so that the sprocket 29 will advance the conveyor chain the distance of one holder, and serve to lock the chain at each stop.

The extensions Y6 of the tank 3 are preferably provided with removable bottoms of suitable metal and as shown in F-ig. 4 a diskVVV 46 is removablyattached'to thev open end of the extension by bolts 47. The disk has an opening 48 to receive a bushing 53 soldered to the tubev 7. This 'bushing has a reduced threaded neck 51 and above this is a conical` shoulderk 49.*onthe bushing to engage a coni sealed.

cal seat 50 in the opening 48 in the disk 46.

The bushing isk placed as shown in Fig. 4 with Y .against the disk 46 to draw the bushing down on the conical seat and form a tight joint.. When it is desired to remove the contents of the extension 6,-the nut 52 is removed and the bushing 53 can be moved upwardly with the tube 7. Y

It will be understood from the above description that each of the filling devices will discharge a fixed or constant predetermined charge or amount of'fluid at its outlet pipe 7,'and that this is absolutely independent of any engagement with the container. By this means containers of any' desired character can beemployed, such Vas the paper containers or bottles sometimes used for holding milk.v The chain conveyer will simply bring thesebottles, that have a comparativelyl large or wide mouth, to rest just belowthe discharge tube 7, and the fluid will fall by gravity into the container. This will make the discharge of the fluid absolutely independent of the form or capacity of the container. v

It will be further observed that the twelve filling devices are distributed or arranged from one end of the fluid tank 3 to theother.u A

Where cert-ain fluids such as milk are used, the character varies at times and a greater proportion of the butter fats or cream may exist at one portion of the tank than at another portion. Unless the fluid is agitated, the por tion discharged by one filler might vary in its character from that discharged by another liller at a remote position. But by the present invention each container will receive a portion taken from the tank at different locations `from one end to the other, which will provide a uniform character of the fluid in all of the containers.

Another great advantage of this fractional or multiple filling from relatively small frac-V tional amountsresides in the fact that where the containeris entirely filled at one operation, there is a strong tendency toV foam by air bubbles being produced, and this would cause the contents of the receptacle to over-` flow as first filled, and whenthe foam subsides there would be less than the required quantity of fluid in the container'. By the present v invention a very small fraction of the quantity is inserted at each advance of the conveyer and such objection is 'avoidedf' ln machines of the character set forth it is customary to have the conveyer advance the filled containers to a suitable closing or. sealing device, that is apart of the apparatus, and which will automatically cause each filled bottle as advanced to beclosed, or closed and Where paper containers of the kind indicated are employed such a container is collapsed or pressed together at the top, and

thereupon a sealing strip, such as bent metal is applied to the closed lips to seal the container. In the present apparatus the conveyer is shown as continued to a sealing mechanism. Here suitable arms or jaws will collapse the container and a sealing strip of metal of angular form may be placed by hand or otherwise over the closed lips, and thereupon the jaws and 56 will press together the sealing strip and seal the bottle.

It will be understood that this sealing means completes one operation at each advance of the conveyer, so that as each filled bottle goes beyond the last filler it will be sealed, at this station. Where a bottle is filled at each rest period, and a previously filled bottle is sealed, the filling operation must be effected in the same time that the sealing operation is done. But with the present invention only one-twelfth of the capacity of the container is discharged into each container as each filled container is sealed, for the reasons that 12 containers on the conveyor are each receiving simultaneously one-twelth o-f the capacity. By this means the operation is to be effected very rapidly, yet the filling operation will avoid the disadvantages just .set forth.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for filling liquid into containers, a source of liquid supply, a series of liquid measuring and delivering elements communicating with said source, means for intermittently operating said series of elements as a unit, and means for sequentially positioning a plurality of containers to receive liquid from said elements, whereby each container receives a measured increment of liquid from each element, whose aggregate for the series is an accurate total of the desired amount.

2. In an apparatus for filling liquid into containers, a series of liquid measuring devices, a. common source of liquid supply for said devices, means for intermittently operating said series of devices to simultaneously deliver a measured quantity of liquid to a series of containers, and an intermittently operated conveyor for sequentially positioning a series of containers to receive liquid from said devices in timed relation with the operation of said devices, whereby each container receives a measured increment of liquid from each device, whose aggregate for the series is an accurate total of the desired amount.

3. In an apparatus for filling liquid into containers, a. tank, a series of liquid measuring devices therein each having independent discharge pipes, means for intermittently operating said series of devices as a unit, and a conveyor for sequentially positioning a series of containers to receive liquid from said devices in timed relation with the operation of said devices, whereby each container receives a measured increment of liquid from eac-h device, whose aggregate for the series is an accurate total of the desired amount.

4. In an apparatus for lling liquid into containers, a source of liquid supply, a series of liquid measuring and delivering elements arranged to each deliver a fiXed predeterj mined quantity of liquid from said source, means -for sequentially presenting a series of containers in position to receive the liquid from said delivering elements respectively, and means for simultaneously operating all said delivering element-s alternately with the said sequential presenting of the containers in receiving position, whereby each container will receive a measured increment of liquid from each element in succession and the aggregate quantity received in each container will be the same desired quantity of the fluid.

5. The method of filling containers, which consists in independently discharging from separate points in a common source of supply into each of a series of containers a measured fractional portion of the total quantity desired in the container, intermittently advancing said series of containers to further independent fractional fillings from said source until the last of the series has received a suflicient number of fractions to complete the whole.

6. rIhe method of filling containers, which consists in independently discharging from separate points in a common source of supply into each of a series of containers a measured fractional portion of the total quantity desired in the container, intermittently advancing said series of containers to further independent fractional fillings from said source until the last of the series has received a sufficient number of fractions to complete the whole, and adding an unfilled container at each advancement, whereby the new container receives the first fractional filling as the last container in the series receives its final fractional filling.

7. The method of filling liquid containers from a common source of supply, which consists in intermittently feeding measured fractional quantities to the same container at diferent places of discharge from said source, whereby any inequalities in the liquid at the various points of discharge will be equalized in all containers: so filled when the total number of fractional fillings has reached the whole.

Signed at New York city, N. Y., on Sept. 14,

EDWARD o. ANGELL. 

